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CBS News has obtained a voice memo that was recorded by Iranian American journalist Reza Valizadeh, who has been detained in Evin Prison in Tehran for over a year. “Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan’s report on Valizadeh’s voice memo is here. The full audio of the memo, just under two minutes long, is in the player above, and the transcript is below.
I’m Reza Validzadeh, your colleague, who is sending you this message from Evin Prison in Tehran. The following statement is my personal opinion on the release of 20 Iranian sailors by the United States on May 21.
3, 2, 1.
While three American citizens and I are imprisoned in Iran, 20 Iranian sailors were released by the United States on May 21 and returned to Iran.
The U.S. government could have demanded our exchange in return. However, it did not happen.
While the four of us are suffering from various diseases and are deprived from real medical services, the U.S. government could have at least demand real medical services for us in exchange for the release of Iranian sailors. Even if treating our diseases is a big demand, it would have at least…
[interruption by female automated voice] Even if treating our diseases is a big demand, it would have at least asked the Iranian authorities to reduce not all the physical pressure and mental torture against us in captivity, but at least some of it.
I am curious to know what concessions the U.S. government received in exchange for the release of Iranian sailors if the U.S. government …in exchange…if the U.S. government in exchanging concessions with Iran had another priority than the release of American hostages that would ‘make America great again,’ I fully respect this decision.
Thank you very much. Goodbye.
Note: Validzadeh cited an incident on May 21 involving 20 Iranian sailors, but he may have been referring to the seizure on May 4 of the motor vessel Touska. That day, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson told CBS News that 22 crew members were taken from the vessel, which had been seized for trying to run through a U.S.-enforced blockade.
